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The last shirt has been sewn.
Will now file everything away, tidy up my sewing room, pull fabric for a quilt project and then select a new jigsaw puzzle to start.
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Finished another 18" doll shirt.
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Just have six little shirts to sew together and this batch of little outfits will be done. Then I can move on to other fabrics, other garment designs.
Do want to sew two 18" doll flannel gown pajamas that has rib knit for the neck and wrists and some jersey knit t-shirts and leggings.
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Had six sets cut out before going to bed last night.
In spite of a late start to my morning, I still managed to get a bit accomplished.
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Two sets done, eight more to go.
The skirt, shorts and pants are quick to sew up. Front, back, side and inner leg seams, then hem. Sew a casing for elastic for waist line.
Shirt takes longer due to sewing on a pocket, collar, neck facing and setting in sleeves.
Snap buttons for the item needing them will be attached once all the sewing is done.
Started early this morning, finished just after noon.
Am changing out serger thread colors. Usually use white thread when serging as I didn't know a better way to change out thread colors. Found a youtube video showing how to thread a Babylock Victory serger. She did a wonderful job of explaining how to thread and change thread spools. Prior to watching the video, I broke two serger needles. Not fun. I grabbed the vacuum and vacuumed right away as having a cat makes me hyper viligant with pins, needles and threads. Tiggy wouldn't be able to tell me if he swallowed something and it was causing him an issue.
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Currently working on 18" doll clothes.
Want to make a skirt, shorts, pants and shirt from each of the different left over fabrics from doing the doll dresses.
Cut everything out and had the skirt, short and pants done in a couple of hours. Started on the shirt and had to put everything away and call it a day. The facing around the neck and collar area was giving me problems.
That night I did a youtube search for attaching facing with a collar. Really appreciate those that show what they are doing where the viewer can SEE what they are doing. Step by step. Not a fan of annoying music, theatrics or fashion or finger nail divas. Just provide the content clearly, precisely with a pleasant voice and smile.
After viewing a well done video, I decided to cut out another set of shirt pieces, cutting carefully, marking as needed. Used my 1/4" foot and marked seam lines where needed - curved edges.
The result brought tears. Happy tears. Told the Lord I thanked Him for teaching me and giving me the ability to do what I enjoy doing - working with needle and thread. The shirt is the best I've ever sewn since starting sewing doll clothes 2011. The collar turned out and was evenly spaced. The facing was easy to attach. The pocket looks good. Is a working pocket. I just need to attach snap buttons.
My precious little doll needs help with her hair and a pair of cute shoes but she modeled well.
I have a total of 10 different fabrics to work with. Bumble bees, Minnie Mouse, Winnie the Pooh, red pokadot, gray pokadot, solid tan, solid pink, cats, jungle animals, wolves. I plan to go through my tote of doll clothes patterns and sew a variety of styles.
Worked on my new laptop yesterday. It's nice having speed when opening and accessing programs and files. However, the new set up and how to navigate it is taking some getting use to. I use my cell phone most of the time when accessing the internet, my email and my blog. I started that when my old laptop began "dying." I transferred all my files from the old laptop to a jump drive and am now working on going through the files - purging, better organizing or putting in designated file folders. Got caught up with filing away pictures I had of my needle and thread work since spring 2022. Now working on organizing screenshots and downloaded sewing related stuff.
Pulled a new puzzle to start and ordered a couple of new ones.
Took advantage of sales and ordered a nice cabinet for my serger. It has several drawers down one side. Should be here by the end of the week. My neighbor is going to help me put it together. It is too heavy for me to do on my own. Since being so sick I've lost muscle strength. Things I once did, I can no longer do.
In closing, it's been hard to watch the news. My heart has been in prayer mode for those suffering from lost due to the natural disasters in the United States. I can identify with the lost of home and beloved fur buddies. Lost my apartment and two cats during the flood here in Iowa in 2008. Wish I could physically help in some way. I cannot but I can pray and have been. God is able to work in miraculous ways. I pray for comfort, for healing, for closure (families of those still searching for missing loved ones), for people in positions that can make decisions that will benefit and help those that need it. I pray for those on the front lines working tirelessly to help those they don't know just because they care and are concerned.
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Entering sewing room from my living room.
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July - December 2025 Finishes.
After a major purge of items in my sewing room, I rearranged my bedroom and living room. I was able to do a vacuum of the floors and dusting of what surfaces I could reach. I hired a professional cleaner to come in to do a deep clean and as a result my apartment feels clean and smells fresh.
Living room furniture was removed after deciding I no longer wanted it due to cheap quality and Tiggy using them as scratching posts (scratching posts for him have been ordered and should arrive next Thursday). I purchased an upper end high quality chair that is being delivered Friday. I plan to purchase one maybe two more chairs for my living room. Once the chair has been delivered, I will set up my stitching "nest" and start back on my Ecclesiastes 3:1 project. It's been awhile since I've worked on it. Would like to have it done by the end of the year.
I have joined a quilting group that sews quilts for veterans along with quilts for children and families in need. We meet once a month. I take my Janome sewing machine and work on what is provided at the meetings. Kinda itching to start on a quilt project of my own now that my sewing room has been rearranged and not so claustrophobic.
The major purge and sorting of my sewing inventory is done.
Every basket, bag, tote and cabinet was opened and gone through. Lost count of how many large totes were filled and donated. Recipients of the donations were thrilled with what I donated. I was told the items were welcomed and would be used.
Out went...
Sewing (quilting cotton) and counted cross stitch evenweave fabric I no longer wanted.
Cross stitch kits.
Quilting, cross stitch, crochet and embroidery patterns, charts, books, leaflets. Complete cross stitch magazine collections of For the Love of Cross Stitch, Leisure Arts Cross Stitch, Cross Country Stitching and Crafts, Just Cross Stitch. I kept my Stoney Creek and Country Cross Stitching Collections - my two favorites.
Crochet thread, embroidery thread. Pearl cotton thread. Sewing thread. Blending filaments, braid thread, Whisper thread.
Scroll rods, hoops, longer length q-snap pieces or frames.
Sewing and cross stitch tools, accessories, rulers.
Lace, ribbon, metal zippers, buttons, needles, pins and other miscellaneous sewing notions and tools.
Beads and bead making items.
Two shelving units.
After going through everything, I did a final rearrange in the room.
Along one wall, I put the tall bookcase and set up my cutting station. I moved my sewing cabinet back in front of the window. Opposite the wall where my cutting table and Alexis cabinet that holds my quilting rulers is, I set up a pressing area. My serger is along this wall with plans to order a different mobile cabinet that will store all my serger thread, needles, manual and tools for my serger. I had room for my tall DMC thread cabinet. I can now pivot easier in my chair to either trim or press when machine sewing.
This arrangement pulls natural light into the room due to open walls. Plus I have a larger walk around space in the middle of the room. When I work on scrappy or crumb quilts I can easily access my scrap fabric. If I want additional work surface I can set up another small folding table.
Things are in place. I just need to put stuff away after being gone through and rearranging the room. Once that is done, I would like to go through my scrap fabric storage units and sort, organize and cut the fabric into 2-1/2" strips and squares and 5" squares for crumb and scrappy quilt projects.
A major task has been completed and it feels wonderful!
I haven't picked up a needle in several weeks. I have been busy or should say, focused on doing a massive purge of my sewing inventory. As of June 12th, eight very large totes have been filled and the contents donated. I am going through my sewing inventory item by item. Found some items I forgot I had.
When I moved into my current apartment my sewing inventory had been packed by the movers. I did unpack everything and set up my sewing room. However, I've come to realize that this sewing room will never be like what I had in a former rental with open space and mobility. When I work in my current sewing space, I feel claustrophobic, cramped and unable to move around like I want to. I have tried different furniture arrangements to no avail. This is my last sewing room. No more.
I am not getting younger. I don't need everything I have amassed with my sewing. Realistically I won't be doing all the projects I would like to do. I don't have the time (as in I am getting older), interest or desire. My interests have evolved and changed.
In doing the clean out or brutal purge, I set some parameters on what I was going to keep due to what I wanted to spend my time working on. Three areas only. Cross stitch. Quilting. 18" doll clothes. While sorting my inventory and letting go of things, I asked myself, "Will this contribute to those three areas?" If not, it is being donated. If yes, I then asked myself, "Is this item really a keeper? Do I really want this item and keep it or is it time to donate it?"
My neighbor has been a God send in that he has supplied heavy duty totes with lids and as I fill them with whatever I am donating, he then removes the tote and brings new ones to fill up again. I know the items will be used by other craft enthusiasts. His offering to help with lifting has been so appreciated.
The end goal of all this is a more open workable, walk around space in my sewing room. A room where I want to spend time in there creating and doing what I enjoy - working with needle and thread.
Health wise, I take each day as it comes. I have good days. I have not so good days. I have fibromyalgia and diabetes. Prior to getting covid and pneumonia in both lungs November 2023, I was recovering from exposure to black mold due to conditions in my last rental. As a result of having covid, I am dealing with long term effects from it. Not fun. I have good days. I have not so good days. Thankful for Tiggy and his comfort. Thankful for a prayer answering God who hears me on the not so good days. His peace and grace sustains me.
In February 2025, after being prescribed a new medication, I ended up in the local ER. I had taken the prescribed dose, gotten up in the night to go to the bathroom and awoke to find myself laying on the floor in front of my cat's litter box in a pool of vomit, vomiting two more times. I had passed out, hit my head and was unconscious for 30 minutes. My head hurt and after getting up off the floor I felt a lump on the back of my head. Managed to get back to bed and fell back to sleep. Later in the morning while discussing what happened with the nurse I shared that my head really hurt and when I drew back my hand after touching the area that was painful, I saw my hand was covered in blood. I drove myself to the ER. Xrays and other tests revealed nothing broken. I did have to have metal sutures put in as the head laceration was deep. As it healed, the itching was intense.
As I shared earlier, I haven't done work with needle and thread for quite sometime. Haven't been motivated to. I have worked on jigsaw puzzles with Tiggy snoozing nearby keeping me company. Bought a new puzzle table to use when doing my puzzles. Stepped away for bit and Tiggy jumped on it. The table tilted and five days worth of puzzling landed in a heap on the floor. Tiggy just sat there in disbelief or maybe it was shock. I cried. I carefully picked everything back up and managed to have everything back to together by day's end. Was missing two edge pieces but found them later after saying a short "help me find them, Lord" prayer. They were still attached together in spite of having flown across the room. Prayer, in whatever format, no matter the length, works.
I have not done a whole lot with my blog. There's been a shift in my heart regarding my blog. Again, lack of interest or desire and little motivation to spend time on it. I have started to entertain the idea that perhaps it is time to turn the page, end the chapter and close the book. As my current cross stitch project, Ecclesiastes 3:1 states, "A time for...and a time for...". I started blogging around the time of 2011 or so. I started with sharing my sewing 18" doll clothes. So much life has happened since then. A divorce in 2012, my dad's death in 2013 then my mom's death in 2021, several moves or relocations, health issues...as scripture states "A time for..."
Having just said that, my blogging journey has been a enjoyable one in that I've met some very beautiful people. Kathi from California, Marilyn from Utah, Sandi from Ohio, Abbie from Ohio, Robin from Virginia and Clara from Maryland. I have learned alot about needle and thread (hand stitched and machine sewn) and have grown and been challenged with my work.
I end this post by saying I am not sure what is in the future, but I know who holds my future and I trust Him. Explicitly. No questions. Praising Him for wonderful memories as a result of my blogging endeavors.
May the Lord bless you and keep you.
Abbie Jean and beloved fur buddy, Tiggy.
